Ukrainians honour dead fighter with outdoor funeral in Kyiv

Ukrainian servicemen stand guard by the coffin of their comrade Oleh Yurchenko, who was killed in a battle with Russian forces in Donetsk region, during a commemoration ceremony in Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday January 8 2023 (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

Ukrainian soldiers, family and mourners have gathered in chilly weather in Kyiv to pay tribute to a soldier killed fighting Russian forces in Bakhmut, the strategic city under siege on the eastern front.

An open casket, outdoor service was held in the capital’s Independence Square for Major Oleh Yurchenko, who was killed in Bakhmut on January 2.